


Sweeter Than Sugar

by m_ecx



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: #feedadrienagreste, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Miraculous, adrien is a judge, everyone ships it, lots of fluff, marinette is a cooking show contestant, protect marinette dupain cheng, we love adrienette!!!, when adrien likes marinette not just because she’s ladybug >>>>
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-03-22
Packaged: 2019-11-04 19:46:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17904440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/m_ecx/pseuds/m_ecx
Summary: Growing up in a bakery you’re bound to pick up a few tricks and tips, right? Well Marinette Dupain-Cheng sure hopes so as she enters a new reality cooking show, “Bake It Till You Make It!”. She’s now up against hard competitors, completing challenges, and trying not to spaz everytime Adrien Agreste, France’s favorite bachelor and newest judge on Bake It Till You Make It comes around!





	1. Chapter 1

      Marinette Dupain Cheng was to simply put it, a mess. She was swimming in unpaid college loans while still juggling three jobs plus helping her parents at their bakery on the side. Marinette was the definition of a struggling fashion designer and was definitely not feeling miraculous. 

And now in her hands as she sat on the couch in her cramped, small yet affordable apartment was her solution. Well at least that’s what her best friend, Alya called it when shoving it in her hands that were littered with scars from accidently needle stabbing.

“Alya what is this?”, Marinette asked. Her bluebell eyes looking back and forth from the crisp, white letter in her hand to the jumping ginger who she called her best friend.

“Open it girl! I saw it on this article online and thought of you, the girl who practically lived in a bakery!”, The said jumping ginger responded, a bright smile on her face.

“I did live on a bakery, my last name means bread in English for goodness sake”, Marinette deadpanned.

“Shut up and open it already, I wanna see your reaction” Alya said.

With a sigh Marinette opened the letter and read the letter inside.

It said :

_Bonjour!_

_Are you a baker living in the Paris area tired of people not appreciating your art?_

_Do you need to spice up your life?_

_Well just fill out this form below with a picture of yourself and mail to the address on the back with a chance to not only showcase your talents on tv but also win 500,000 dollars!_

_Name:_  
_Age:_  
_Height:_  
_Current Job:_  
_Experience in Baking Business:_  
_Why you deserve a chance on the show:_

 

_Thank you for applying we will get back to you once our decisions are made, best of luck and au revoir!_

Marinette finished reading and threw her head back and laughed.  She laughed long and hard as Alya glared at her before finally sobering up. “Alya, are you kidding me? This? This is the solution you were talking about?!” 

Alya crossed her arms across her chest and looked away defensively. “Look, I know you need the money and you know a couple of things about the baking world so I just thought...” Her words trailed off and she shrugged. 

The bluenette once laughing was now frowning. “Thank you Alya I seriously appreciate you thinking of me but it’s just, there’s so many good bakers in Paris that have worked way harder in their art and they deserve to have their talents showcased in hopes to win money way more than me! I don’t even major in culinary art! I’m just a normal girl who was raised by two amazing bakers” 

“Marinette please, you are just as worthy of being on that show as everyone. You applied for the form just like the rest of them and If you are chosen over them then that sucks for them. I’ve told you so many times by now girl, you have got to learn that it’s okay to put yourself first sometimes. Now grab a pen, sit down, and do it okay?”, Alya ranted.

Marinette was quiet for a moment before giggling, a light blush on her cheeks, and rolling her eyes and grabbing a pen. “What would you say my height is?” 

The ginger went back to jumping up and down and smirking in excitement. “I knew it I knew you would fall victim to my pep talk!” 

___________________________

 

”Okay before I mail this let’s make a disclaimer, If I don’t get chosen we will not speak about this again and will move on with our lives. Pinky promises?”, Marinette explained holding out her finger meekly, her other hand holding a light pink letter that holds a possible chance to win 500,000 dollars. 

Alya glances at her pinky before shaking her head and intertwining her pinky with hers. “Deal”, She said.

Marinette nodded her head in clarity before opening the mailbox and slipping her letter inside. She looked back at her friend smiling cheekily. 

“You signed it right?” Alya asked

”Signed what?” 

”The letter you doofus!”

”Alya, of course I signed it.....” Marinette replied, her strong tone fading out as she thought about the process she went through on signing the letter, distinctly remembering thinking she’ll fill in the name part later. 

“Crap!” 

Alya facepalmed. “Some things just never change” 


	2. Chapter 2

“This is the last entree” A women with a tight high bun announced as a picture of a girl with hair as dark as night and eyes as blue as the summer sky took over the large projector in the front of the office room.

She was very pretty, Adrien noticed. She seemed very sweet too yet confident shown by the contrast of head up high yet her eyes warm.

He already liked her, she’d be good for the show.

They were currently in a meeting with ten other producers and cast managers to decided who to choose for the show he was forced to be on.

“What is her name?”, His father, who sat on his left side and was the reason he was in the meeting, said.

The women with the high bun looked throughout her paperwork searching for her name. “Her name is not written here anywhere, she must have forgot”, She spoke.

Adrien mentally added forgetful under the list of characteristics of mystery girl.

“Well than we can not allow her to participate” His father responded calmly rising to his feet and pressing his hands against the wooden table, demanding attention. 

Adrien sighed placing his head in his hands wondering why and how his father, a fashion designer, decided to get him involved in baking contest is something he will never understand.

“Actually Sir” Nathalie, the one who’s been with Adrien since he was a child and got use to his fathers antics, started. “This could be useful to the promoting of the show, we can try and find the girl with no name and put it on an episode series along with going to the other contestants houses and announcing they have won”

If his father agrees to this, the forgetful girl has all the luck in the world.

“Well if that’s what will bring in the most viewers for the show it is what we will do.” His father said, sitting back down.

It’s decided, she’s lucky. 

“We could call her episode in particular um....” Natalie thought.

“Finding Ladybug, the lucky lady” Adrien was shocked to find it was his own voice that rang out as for the first time tonight he spoke.

He cleared his voice, sat up straight, and said. “We can call it Finding Ladybug, and we can send the different clips into Family Channel to play as commercials between other popular shows” 

Adrien glanced to his left, to his father hesitantly.

His father nodded his head slightly in agreement, a proud glint in his eye. 

Adrien didn’t stop smiling the rest of the day.

————————————————-

“Alya we all know I won’t be chosen! I forgot my name for goodness sake!” Marinette said to Alya who she was on the phone with. 

“I’ve been keeping up with the clips they’ve been showing on television and you still have a chance. They have one more person left and they call her ladybug!” Alya protested

The familar sound of bells jingling, meaning the door was being opened, rang throughout the cafe.

“Ladybug’s symbolism lucky and we all know I’m not lucky. I’ll call you back after my shift, a costumer just walked in. Tell Nino I said Hi” She ended the call before Alya could argue anymore.

Marinette put her phone back up, fixing a bright smile on her face and greeting the customer. “Hi! Welcome to Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Pa-“

She was cut off by the bring light of cameras and a man holding a microphone with an excited smile filling his face. “Hi I’m Alex Cataldi and we did it guys! With your detect skills and our searching we have the one and only, lady luck, Ladybug!”

“Huh?” Marinette exclaimed completely confused as a camera crew started coming in and setting up lights and cameras and the news women stared at her waiting for her to say something. 

“Ladybug how we have been searching for you, now tell us a question we’ve always been wondering, what is your name?”

“U-uh I’m M-Marinette, Marinette Dupain Cheng” She stuttered feeling her cheeks heat due to all the attention.

“Congratulations Marinette! You have won a spot on ‘Bake It Till You Make It’ premiering April 22 on family channel! Tune in and see!” The man in a bright blue shirt exclaimed while winking at the camera.

“I-i-I did?! Oh my God I have to call Alya and my Maman and Papa! Thank you I-i d-don’t even know what to say wow!” Marinette bubbled a wide smile growing her face.

“Well there you have it guys our newest member, Ladybug! Now known as Marinette Dupain Cheng make sure you tune in and go see her bake April 22! Bye!” Alec signed off. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i’m not sure if this is long or not but it’s long to me cause my fingers got to typing and now it’s like what 50000 words! that’s wild man.

Marinette bit her lip whilst she sat in the luxurious leather seats in the back of a limousine. She was picked up just around an hour ago after a grand send off with plenty of hugs and cake when the time finally came for her to start filming for the show.

She was as nervous as a black cat by water. “What if I fail and make a completely mess of myself on TV?!” or “What if the judges hate me and I immediately get kicked off the show?!” were the questions running through her head.

Her parents, before she left, made sure to pack her a long and detailed list of what best to cook, what to do and what not to do which Marinette was extremely grateful for.

Oh mon Dieu how she would miss them.

Marinette sighed before laying back into the expensive seats and drifting off into a light sleep. Throughout, the chauffeur who resembled a gorilla drove her to the location.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Light tapping on Marinette’s shoulder awoke her. She opened her eyes to come in contact with annoyed brown eyes.

“Bonjour, I am Clara, I will be assisting you along your journey on “Bake It Till You Make It”, if you will please follow me” Clara said, her tone bland with a lack of enthusiasm.

Marinette smiled kindly at her when Clara stepped away from the limousine to allow her to step out. “Thank you Clara, I’m Marinette. It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

Clara smiled softly showing a glimpse of just how young the assistant is, before turning around swiftly and began walking. “Please follow me, your luggage will be brought to your room later”

Marinette quickly straightened out her outfit that consisted of dark, maroon jeans and a pretty, light, pink blouse with puffed sleeves. Flowers delicately lined the end of the sleeves and Marinette was proud to say she designed everything herself except for the dark gray sneakers.

She followed Clara into the building trying not to be mesmerized by the large room. It was slightly full but all these people had this aura of confidence as they sat on the sofas and chatted with one another or ate by the elegant cafe while the light from the thousands of windows poured into the room.

As she walked past them she felt them glance at her with curiosity.

Needless to say, Marinette and her scuffed up sneakers felt so out of place.

Clara allowed her to stand gobsmacked for a few minutes before telling her to follow her again

As she walked past the people in the room a diversity full of ages, she felt them glance at her with curiosity. Needless to say, Marinette and her scuffed up sneakers felt so out of place.

Clara led her down a long hallway away from the herds of people into a smaller room. Inside the smaller room was nothing more than a large camera , a white backdrop, and two high seats one of them occupied by a smiling women with a microphone.

“You must be our last and finally constentant, Salut!”

“Sorry I’m prone to being late” Marinette responded, a light blush dusting her cheeks.

“It’s okay, Sweetie, I am absolutely the same! Come take a seat so I can ask you a few questions” The lady said gesturing to the empty seat in front of her and the camera.

Marinette hesitantly stepped up into the spotlight as Clara watched the time and wrote something down on her schedule.

“So what’s your name, Honey” The women asked

“My name is Marinette Dupain Cheng”

“What a beautiful name! And what are you looking foreword to in the progression of this show” She questioned

Marinette shrugged. “To do my best and have fun you know, my parents always told me to do what I love and have fun while doing it so that’s what i’m gonna do”

“Mon Dieu you look awfully young, how old are you?” The women asked her. Her tone not as playful as before but still light.

“I’m just eighteen years old”

“Wow eighteen years old! You are the youngest participate on the show! Do you think you being so young limits you against competition? “ She questioned

Marinette thought about this for a minute before she straightened her shoulders and answered back strongly, “I don’t think my age limits me, no. My age doesn’t reflect upon my knowledge of baking being as I grew up in the bakery, my first words were tarte after all!” She finished with a laugh

“You are well beyond your years Marinette, or should I say ladybug. Rumor has it Adrien Agreste picked that nickname out for you” The women teased. “He’s only 19” She practically sung. 

Marinette sputtered.

She hadn’t heard the name “Adrien Agreste” since Françoise Dupont High School when she went through her “I’m in love with him” phase and obsessed over him and his modeling.

She could still feel that spark of hope when she heard rumor that he might come to her school only for that to be crushed when it was announced he enrolled in a private school instead.

So because of her past experience with rumors and Adrien Agreste, she tried, emphasis on tried, to ignore the bubbling feeling in her chest and the heating up of her face.

“T-t-that’s flattering” Marinettemanaged to get out, smiling shyly, her attention suddenly on her feet as they swung from the high chair.

The interviewer suddenly smirked and leaned out of her seat, “You’ve heard of him?”

Marinette opened and closed her mouth and flailed her arms wildly as she tried to think of an excuse, “Of course I-I have He’s everywhere plus I really want to be a fashion designer when I grow up and his father being such a good one I know him” She blabbed on, crossing her arms across her chest once done feeling proud of her excuse.

“Yes well that is good since he’s going to be a judge and all” The Women said feigning nonchalance.

“Yeah yeah wait wHA-“

The interviewer laughed “You’re cute Marinette, I look forward to seeing you on this show Marinette Dupain Cheng”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no one:
> 
> me : *post chapter at 4 am* 
> 
> thanks for reading lots of love <3  
> feel free to comment any critics or anything i an open to suggestions!

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading! i appreciate it, please comment any critics I’ll be happy to hear them. I’m so sorry about how short this is I’ll try to write more next time. I use to write for another fandom so now i’m getting back into the hang of it!


End file.
